New therapy aids young stroke victim's recovery

Shaelyn Poisson works with physiotherapist Jocelyn Comartin at Hotel Dieu Grace Hospital Tayfour Campus in Windsor on Thursday, December 10, 2015. Poisson is recovering from a stroke she suffered after injuring her neck.Tyler Brownbridge / Windsor Star

Shaelyn Poisson loves to dance. She never imagined that at age 18 she would suffer a stroke and wonder if she would ever dance again.

But that’s exactly what happened three months ago. Now the Belle River teenager is part of a clinical trial study for an electrical stimulation device being used to help her recover.

In June, Poisson was hanging out with friends as a popular song blasted over the radio. She started to spin her head around to the song when suddenly her neck jammed to the right side.

“When I got (to her) it was unbelievable, I couldn’t believe her head was stuck to the side,” said her mom, Patsy. “I didn’t know what was going on, but I suspected it wasn’t good.”

They rushed Poisson to a clinic where she was diagnosed as having a simple neck strain. She was sent home with instructions to ice and take ibuprofen. Later that night her neck straightened out.

The pain in her neck continued to bother her but Poisson didn’t let it slow her down. She was attending the University of Windsor taking social work and women studies courses. She was also dancing and teaching dance to young students.

Everything came to a stop Oct. 5 when she had a stroke.

She had been sitting in a car with a friend having a heated discussion when her head fell forward hitting the steering wheel.

“When I got to the friend’s house she was puking and had lost control of her left side,” Patsy said. “She was all worked up and her blood pressure was going crazy and she was slurring her speech.”

She was rushed to the hospital. Doctors said they suspected the earlier neck injury had made a tiny tear — called a dissection — in one of her carotid arteries. That allowed blood to enter the wall of the artery and split its layers. A blood clot had formed and caused the stroke. Doctors didn’t fix the dissection because of its location. They are hopeful the tear will heal itself.

Poisson remembers the moments before her head hit the steering wheel.

“I felt like a stinging inside my head,” she said. “I thought it was an aneurysm because I felt a bubble pop in my brain. Then I started to feel dizzy and then became limp on my left side. I couldn’t keep myself up because I was really weak.”

The next seven weeks were spent in hospital where she was confined to a wheelchair. She did physiotherapy every day, but admittedly struggled to stay upbeat. It wasn’t until Oct. 21, that she finally took her first step.

“It felt awesome,” she said. “But it was very frustrating and upsetting. I had a hard time believing I had a stroke. I always thought that only happened to older people.”

Patsy admits there were a lot of what-ifs in her mind. She wondered if her daughter would be able to dance and teach. She worried about what the future held.

“I was devastated and scared at first,” Patsy said. “I was worried she was going to be in a wheelchair forever. The doctors kept saying with her age she had a chance for a full recovery, but she would have to work hard.”

Poisson continues to require daily rehabilitation. Patsy, who is a single mom with no health benefits, wasn’t sure how she could afford the mounting costs of treatment. When doctors approached them about a clinical trial study for an electrical stimulation device, they decided to participate.

The non-invasive therapy combines patient participation, therapist expertise and the electrical stimulation device, called MyndMove, to restore voluntary hand and arm function in patients suffering from upper-limb paralysis. The therapy has been shown to improve motor function in patients suffering from stroke and spinal cord injuries.

Sonja Bridgen, research coordinator at Hotel-Dieu Grace Health Care, said three stroke patients are participating in the study, which started at the end of September. The trial phase of the study is 20 sessions with patients coming three to five times a week while also doing physiotherapy.

“It’s unique because they have multiple electrodes moving in tandem rather than just one,” Bridgen said. “The pads are attached to the arm. While the muscles are being stimulated the physiotherapist or occupational therapists moves the arm for the patient.”

While undergoing the therapy, the patient sits in front of a mirror so the brain can register what the arm is doing.

Poisson now walks with a cane and can move her left arm a little bit. Things like combing her hair or lifting things with her left arm are still restricted. But she needs more of the electrical stimulation treatments to recover, which are not covered by the Ontario Health Insurance Program. It’s estimated that 20 sessions could cost up to $5,000.

A few months ago, a GoFundMe campaign raised close to $8,700, which should help with the mounting costs of her therapy. Also, on Jan. 31, Shaelyn’s Road to Recovery pancake breakfast will be held at Applebee’s on Walker Road from 8 a.m. to 10 a.m. Tickets are $10.

“The money raised through the GoFundMe account has been amazing,” Poisson said. “I think it’s pretty awesome and humbling that people want to help. I’m hoping to be able to go back to school in September and start teaching dance again. I’m just trying to stay focused on my recovery.”

Comments

We encourage all readers to share their views on our articles and blog posts. We are committed to maintaining a lively but civil forum for discussion, so we ask you to avoid personal attacks, and please keep your comments relevant and respectful. If you encounter a comment that is abusive, click the "X" in the upper right corner of the comment box to report spam or abuse. We are using Facebook commenting. Visit our FAQ page for more information.

Almost Done!

Postmedia wants to improve your reading experience as well as share the best deals and promotions from our advertisers with you. The information below will be used to optimize the content and make ads across the network more relevant to you. You can always change the information you share with us by editing your profile.

By clicking "Create Account", I hearby grant permission to Market to use my account information to create my account.

I also accept and agree to be bound by Postmedia's Terms and Conditions with respect to my use of the Site and I have read and understand Postmedia's Privacy Statement. I consent to the collection, use, maintenance, and disclosure of my information in accordance with the Postmedia's Privacy Policy.

Postmedia wants to improve your reading experience as well as share the best deals and promotions from our advertisers with you. The information below will be used to optimize the content and make ads across the network more relevant to you. You can always change the information you share with us by editing your profile.

By clicking "Create Account", I hearby grant permission to Postmedia to use my account information to create my account.

I also accept and agree to be bound by Postmedia's Terms and Conditions with respect to my use of the Site and I have read and understand Postmedia's Privacy Statement. I consent to the collection, use, maintenance, and disclosure of my information in accordance with the Postmedia's Privacy Policy.